Journal, December 1726

Mr. Hort attending, acquainted their Lordships that Mr.
Woolley, Secretary to the East India Company, being indisposed,
could not possibly attend, as he had been directed, their Lordships
then acquainted him, that upon comparing an account of the East
India Company's exports of manufactures, products and stores
for ten years past, ending at Michaelmas 1724, amounting to
£994, 106 8s. 9d., with the like account for twelve years preceding,
amounting to £1,126,774 17s. 3d., they observed that the article
of iron, stores and charges upon the whole, in the ten years'
account, exceeded the same article in the twelve years account,
£76,845 16s. 5d. although the total sum of the exports for the
twelve years, exceeded the like account for the ten years
£132,668 8s. 6d. Their Lordships then desired Mr. Hort would
acquaint the East India Company therewith, and let the Board
have their answer thereto, as also an account of the particulars
of that article of charges upon the whole.

Causes assigned for the diminution of the exports of woollen manufactures not satisfactory.

Their Lordships also acquainted him, that having writ to Mr.
Woolley to know the reason of the diminution in the exportation
of woollen manufactures for ten years ending at Michaelmas, 1724,
Mr. Woolley had informed them that the said diminution was
caused by the wars in Persia and the Mogul's country, by the
Ostend Company, and by the prohibition of calicoes in England;
whereupon their Lordships desired Mr. Hort would acquaint the
directors of the East India Company, that the Board could not
conceive the causes assigned for the said diminution to be the
real ones, because they are subsequent to the beginning of the
said diminution.

Mr. Loubière attending, as he had been directed, their Lordships
took again into consideration the letter from the Duke of Newcastle,
inclosing the king of Sardinia's edict for laying new duties upon
several species of woollen manufactures made in Great Britain,
mentioned in the Minutes of the 11th of August last, and desired
Mr. Loubiere would consider of the said edict, and let them have
his opinion how far the same affected the trade of this kingdom.

Trade.

Bremen.

Mr. Elkin's state of the trade thither, herrings.

Mr. Elkin attending, presented to their Lordships a state of the
trade carried on to Bremen, and an account of the goods used
therein, which was read, as also a map of the county thereabouts;
and their Lordships desired he would inform the Board, whether
an herring trade might not be carried on to that town, if due
encouragement was given; he promised to consider thereof, and
wait upon their Lordships at another opportunity.

Order in Council, Lord Baltimore's nomination of a new deputy governor.

An Order in Council of the 29th of November last, referring
to the Board a representation from the Lord Baltimore, Proprietary of Maryland, nominating his brother, Benedict Leonard
Calvert, Lieut. Governor of that Province, in the room of
Charles Calvert, Esquire, was read, and their Lordships resolved
to consider thereof, when Mr. Calvert should offer security for his
observing the Acts of Trade.

Trade.

Bremen.

Mr. Drummond to attend.

Ordered that Mr. John Drummond be acquainted that the
Board desire to speak with him on Tuesday morning next at 11
o'clock in relation to the trade to Bremen.

December 8. Present:—Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Plummer, Sir
John Hobart.

New York.

Letters and papers from the Governor.

A letter from Mr. Burnet, Governor of New York, etc., to
the Board, dated the 14th October, 1726, containing his remarks
on Acts, and reasons for dissolving the old and calling a new
Assembly, was read.

New York.

New Jersey.

Letters and papers from the Governor.

A letter from Mr. Burnet to the Secretary, dated the 14th of
October, 1726, was read, and the papers, therein referred to, were
laid before the Board, viz:
Minutes of Council of New York, from the 16th of December,
1725, to the 29th of September, 1726.
Minutes of Assembly, from the 5th of April, 1726, to the 17th
of June following.
The Governor's speech to the Assembly, and their answer,
in September, 1726.
List of ships entered and cleared at Perth-Amboy, from the
24th June, 1725, to the 24th of June, 1726.
List of sixteen public and four private Acts, passed at New
York, the 17th of June, 1726.

Acts sent to Mr. Fanc.

Ordered that the said public Acts be sent to Mr. Fane, for his
opinion thereon in point of law.

Mr. John Drummond attending, as he had been [Journal
D.D. fo. 22] desired, their Lordships took again into consideration the Lord Townshend's letter of the 8th of November
last, relating to the herring trade to Bremen, mentioned in the
Minutes of the 9th of the same month; and had some discourse
with him thereupon, but particularly in relation to any privileges
that might be obtained in favour of the British merchants,
importers of herrings to that city; upon which Mr. Drummond
said, that the only privilege to be desired, was, to be upon the same
foot with the Dutch there, but that he would inform himself more
particularly, and wait upon their Lordships at another opportunity.

Mr. Elkin's list of goods, tolls, etc.

Herring trade at Bremen.

Mr. Elkin attending, presented to their Lordships a list of
several sorts of goods with the several rates [Journal D.D. fo. 12]
paid thereon at the toll of Elsfleth in the county of Oldenburgh
on the River Weser; as also an account of the herring trade
carried on in the city of Bremen, with some proposals for carrying
on the said trade from Great Britain thither, which were read;
and their Lordships asking him, when the said toll was first
established, he said, he could not positively tell, but that it was not
collected during the Count of Oldenburgh's time, who died
about the year 1650: that all the Electors of Germany and the
king of Sweden are free of the said toll: that while the Dukedom
of Bremen was under the king of Sweden, it was likewise exempted
from paying that toll. Mr. Elkin then acquainted their Lordships,
that he would consider further of this affair, and wait upon
them again at another opportunity.

Virginia.

Act for a duty on liquors.

Mr. Leheup and Mr. Blair summoned.

The Secretary acquainting the Board that Mr. Leheup, agent
for Virginia, had desired their Lordships would please to report
upon the following Act, passed in Virginia in 1726, entituled An
Act for laying a duty upon liquors; whereupon ordered that Mr.
Leheup and Mr. Blair, Commissary of Virginia, be acquainted that
the Board desire to speak with them thereupon on Tuesday,
the 20th inst.

Mr. Fane's report on the said Act.

Mr. Fane's report upon the said Act, and upon several others
passed in 1726, was read.

New York.

Mr. Hicks' Act referred to Mr. Fane.

Ordered that an Act, passed in New York in 1726, entituled,
An Act to vest in Thomas Hicks of Flushing in Queen's County,
Gentleman, in fee simple, certain lotts of land, whereof he now stands
seized in the Township of Flushing in the same county in fee tail,
and to enable him, the said Thomas, to sell and dispose of the same,
be sent to Mr. Fane, for his opinion thereupon in point of law.

Trade.

Africa.

Letter to Mr. Lynn,
complaint of the French.

Ordered that Mr. Lynn, Secretary to the Royal African
Company, be reminded of the Secretary's letter of the 9th of
June last, inclosing to him a copy of a complaint made by the
French, of their African Company's being molested in their trade
by some of our settlements in the River Gambia [Journal D.D.
fol. 14].

Mr. Calvert attending, desired their Lordships would please to
consider and report upon the Order in Council of the 29th of the
last month, referring to the Board the Lord Baltimore's recommendation of him to be Lieut. Governor of Maryland; and their
Lordships gave directions for preparing the draught of a representation accordingly.

Virginia.

Plantations General.

Trade.

Mr. Nichols' papers, tobacco trade.

Their Lordships then took into consideration the several papers
from Mr. Nichols, in relation to the manufacture of tobacco,
mentioned in the Minutes of the 31st of August last, and of the
7th inst., and made a progress therein.

The said merchants to give their opinion on Mr. Nichols' papers about the tobacco trade.

Mr. Perry, Mr. Carey, Mr. Bradley, Mr. Hyde, Mr. Willis and
several other tobacco merchants attending, as they had been
desired, as also Mr. Nichols, their Lordships took again into
consideration the several papers received from him, in relation to
the tobacco trade, mentioned in the Minutes of the 31st of
August last, and of the 7th inst., which were again severally read;
and their Lordships desiring these gentlemen would let the Board
have their opinion upon this subject, they desired to have a copy
of the said papers, which was ordered accordingly, and they
promised to lay before the Board their thoughts upon this matter,
as soon as possibly they could.

Maryland.

Representation new Deputy Governor.

The representation signifying the Board's having no objection
to Mr. Calvert's being appointed Deputy Governor of Maryland,
ordered yesterday to be prepared, was agreed and signed.

Trade.

Sardinia.

Piedmont.

Letter from Mr. Loubiere, memorial about King of Sardinia's edict, Mr. Jackson again writ to.

A letter from Mr. Loubiere, inclosing a memorial from several
merchants in relation to the hardships they lye under, by reason
of the new duties imposed by the King of Sardinia upon our
woollen manufactures imported into that kingdom, was read;
and their Lordships gave directions, to remind Mr. Jackson of the
letter writ him the 11th of August last, desiring his opinion upon
the said edict. [Journal D.D. fo. 1.]

Virginia.

Colonel Spotswood's grants of land.

Colonel Spotswood to answer queries thereupon.

Their Lordships took into consideration the reference from
the Duke of Newcastle, dated the 27th of July, and mentioned in
the Minutes of the 30th of August last, upon Colonel Spotswood's
petition relating to his lands in Virginia, and gave directions that
the Colonel be desired to send to the Board, on Tuesday next,
his answers to the queries sent him the 8th of September last.

Ireland.

Trade.

Plantations General.

Letter to Mr. Carkesse, memorial from Ireland about Plantation trade.

Ordered that Mr. Carkesse be reminded of the letter writ
him the 29th of the last month, desiring the opinion of the
Commissioners of the Customs upon a memorial from some
merchants in Ireland in relation to the Plantation trade.

Mr. Blair, commissary of Virginia, and Mr. Leheup, agent for
the same Province, attending, as they had been desired, their
Lordships took into consideration and read the Act, passed in
Virginia in 1726, intituled, An Act for laying a duty on liquors, and
their Lordships observing that £200 per annum is appropriated
out of the revenue arising by the said Act to the use of the colledge
in Virginia, desired Mr. Blair would give the Board some account
of the establishment of the said colledge and its present revenues;
who said, that the colledge was established in 1693 by King William
and Queen Mary: that one branch of their revenue was a penny
per pound upon all tobacco exported from Virginia and Maryland
to the other Plantations, which formerly used to produce about
£400 a year, but tobacco being planted in Carolina and the three
lower counties adjoining to Pennyslvania, had now reduced it to
£300: that another branch of their revenue is the Surveyor
General's place, that they appoint the surveyors of all the counties,
and that they pay to the colledge one sixth part of their profit,
which formerly amounted to £100 a year, but that now most
of the land being taken up, this revenue was very much decreased.
Another branch of their revenue was the rents arising from 20,000
acres of land granted by King William, 10,000 whereof they let
at 15 shillings a 1000 acres, and the other 10,000 at 10 shillings,
and that they paid no quit rent for this land excepting two
copies of Latin verses annually to the Governor: that another
branch of their revenue was the income of an estate left them by
Mr. Boyle, called Brotherton, in Yorkshire, amounting to £190
a year, £90 whereof they were obliged to pay annually to the
Colledge of New England: that he, the said Mr. Blair, was president of the colledge at Virginia and had a salary of £150 a year:
that there was a grammar master of £80 a year and an usher at
£50 a year, a mathematical master at £80 a year, a philosophy
master at £80 a year and a professor of divinity at £150 a year.

Draught of representation on the Act.

Their Lordships, after some further discourse with him and Mr.
Leheup upon this subject, gave directions for preparing the
draught of a representation for confirming the said Acts, but
resolved that the same should lye by for some time before they
signed it.

Colonel Spotswood's answer to queries about his grants of land.

Copies of papers on that subject, to be interchanged, for what they may have further to offer.

Colonel Spotswood's answer to some queries sent him the 8th
of September last, in relation to his lands in Virginia, was read;
and their Lordships gave directions for sending a copy thereof to
Mr. Leheup, and a copy of Mr. Leheup's answer to the said queries,
mentioned in the Minutes of the 14th of September, to Colonel
Spotswood, and that these gentlemen be desired to lay before the
Board what they may have further to offer upon this subject.

Barbadoes.

Miscellanies.

Letter from Duke of Newcastle, new councillor to be recommended.

Draught of an answer.

A letter from the Duke of Newcastle, dated the 15th inst.,
desiring to know whether the Board has any objection to Mr.
George Lillington's being appointed of the Council of Barbadoes,
was read; whereupon directions were given for preparing the
draught of an answer thereto.

Virginia.

Act about Mr. Randolph's estate, sent to Mr. Fane.

Ordered that an Act, passed in Virginia in 1726, entituled, An
Act to confirm the title of Richard Randolph to certain entailed
lands, and to settle other lands of greater value and two negro slaves
to the same uses, be sent to Mr. Fane, for his opinion thereupon in
point of law.

A letter from Mr. Lynn, Secretary to the Royal African
Company, dated yesterday, promising an answer to the French
Ambassador's memorial complaining of the French Company's
having been molested by the English on the River Gambia on the
coast of Africa, mentioned in the Secretary's letter to him of the
14th inst., was read.

Barbadoes.

Miscellanies.

Letter to Duke of Newcastle, appointment of a councillor.

A letter to the Duke of Newcastle, in answer to one from his
Grace, mentioned in yesterday's Minutes, relating to the appointment of Mr. Lillington to be of the Council of Barbadoes, was
agreed and signed.